Page "Blackface" Paragraph 3

Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person.

The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the " happy-go-lucky darky on the plantation " or the " dandified coon ".

In 1848, blackface minstrel shows were the national art of the time, translating formal art such as opera into popular terms for a general audience.

Early in the 20th century, blackface branched off from the minstrel show and became a form in its own right, until it ended in the United States with the U. S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.